Bedford Town away – Saturday 19th September
This one is FA Cup Second Qualifying Round rather than league, and the good news is the supporters coach is already FULL.
The coach leaves The Walks at 11:00am.
For anyone who missed out on the coach, this is really going to be one for the car. The rail route from King's Lynn to Bedford is pretty horrible at the moment, with no sensible east-west link across Cambridge.
That should eventually change with East West Rail, but unfortunately not any time soon — the current plan is for the new Bedford–Cambridge section and the full Oxford–Cambridge railway to open in the mid-to-late 2030s. ([1]) So maybe this becomes a very easy train away in another decade or so!
Bedford Town play at:
The Eyrie
Meadow Lane
Cardington
Bedford
MK44 3LW
Kick-off is 3pm. ([2])
The following places to eat/drink and travel information have been generated by AI as usual (and where it found the information).
TL;DR plan
* Coach: FULL – leaves The Walks at 11am.
* Drivers: parking is available at the ground for £1, with room for around 250 cars, first come first served. ([3])
* Tickets online: Adult £16, Concession/U21 £12, age 10–17 £6, Under-10 free. ([3])
* Turnstile prices: Adult £18, Concession £14, age 10–17 £8, Under-10 £2. ([3])
* Online tickets go off sale at 1pm on Saturday. ([4])
* Best pub/food option nearby: The King's Arms in Cardington, open from 11am and serving proper pub food. ([5])
* At the ground: several outlets serve hot and cold food and drinks. ([3])
* Train: technically possible, practically pretty pointless from King's Lynn for this one.
Tickets
Bedford operate cheaper advance prices, so there is a decent saving if you buy before getting there.
Online:
* Adult – £16
* Concession/U21 – £12
* Age 10–17 – £6
* Under 10 – FREE. ([3])
At the turnstiles:
* Adult – £18
* Concession – £14
* Age 10–17 – £8
* Under 10 – £2. ([3])
Advance tickets go off sale at 1pm on Saturday. ([4])
Tickets are available here:
[https://bedfordtownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets](https://bedfordtownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets)
Recent games at The Eyrie have been unsegregated, with supporters free to stand or sit where they like, although obviously Bedford could change arrangements if they expect a particularly large FA Cup crowd. ([3])
Parking
This is one of the easier away grounds for drivers.
Recent away information supplied by Bedford says there is parking at The Eyrie for £1 per vehicle. ([3])
The car park holds around 250 cars and is first come, first served. ([3])
There is also parking in surrounding roads, but supporters are asked to be considerate of residents and not block driveways.
Given this is an FA Cup tie and we have already filled a coach, I would probably aim to get there reasonably early if you want the ground car park.
That timing suggestion is mine rather than a club instruction.
Pubs & food
The Eyrie is actually outside Bedford town centre, near Cardington, so I would not bother driving into Bedford itself unless you specifically want to make a longer day of it.
The King's Arms – Cardington
31 The Green
Cardington
MK44 3SP
This looks like the obvious pub choice.
It opens from 11am on Saturdays and describes itself as a country pub/restaurant with a proper food menu, real ales, lagers and a beer garden. ([5]) ([6])
It is also in Cardington itself, so considerably more convenient for the football than heading into Bedford town centre.
Food includes the usual pub-type options — burgers, steaks, fish, salads etc. ([6])
If driving, I would probably go:
King's Arms → The Eyrie → football.
At the ground
Bedford have several hot and cold food and drink outlets around The Eyrie. ([3])
The ground also has the Eagles Bar and the Pitchside Cafe within the Maxey Suite; for larger fixtures they have previously added extra bars and food facilities as well. ([7])
So for anyone on the coach, staying at the ground once we arrive may be the easiest option rather than trying to get into Bedford and back.
Coach travellers
Leaving The Walks at 11am should make this one considerably less brutal than some of the northern away days.
Depending on traffic and whether the driver makes a stop, we should hopefully arrive with enough time for a drink and something to eat before kick-off.
Given that The Eyrie has its own bar and food outlets, my inclination would be to stay around the ground unless we arrive particularly early.
Drivers
The address for sat nav is:
The Eyrie
Meadow Lane
Cardington
Bedford
MK44 3LW
Parking is £1 at the ground and spaces are first come first served. ([3])
The ground sits just off the A603 Cambridge Road, around 5–10 minutes by car from Bedford town centre. ([3])
If eating first, The King's Arms in Cardington looks by far the easiest plan.
Train – probably don't bother
It is possible to get from King's Lynn to Bedford by rail, but there is currently no direct east-west rail connection.
That leaves you going a very roundabout way, which makes little sense compared with the drive.
The interesting bit for future seasons is East West Rail.
Current plans are for the full route, including the new railway between Bedford and Cambridge, to be completed in the mid-to-late 2030s. ([1])
Once that exists, Bedford should become a completely different proposition from King's Lynn — effectively:
King's Lynn → Cambridge → Bedford
rather than the nonsense required at the moment.
Construction of the wider scheme could begin from around late 2028, subject to approval, but passenger services all the way through to Cambridge are still some way off. ([8])
Simple coach plan
1. Leave The Walks at 11am.
2. Arrive at The Eyrie early afternoon, traffic permitting.
3. Use the Eagles Bar / food outlets.
4. Kick-off 3pm.
5. Hopefully progress to the Third Qualifying Round.
Simple driver plan
1. Head towards Cardington, rather than Bedford town centre.
2. If arriving early, stop at The King's Arms for food/drink.
3. Drive the short distance to The Eyrie.
4. Try the £1 ground car park.
5. Buy your ticket online before 1pm if you want the cheaper price.
6. Kick-off 3pm.
Best options at a glance
* Coach: FULL – departs The Walks at 11am.
* Best pub/food: The King's Arms, Cardington.
* Easiest coach option: Eagles Bar + food at the ground.
* Ground parking: £1, around 250 spaces.
* Adult ticket: £16 online / £18 turnstile.
* Train: one to avoid for now.
* Future train solution: Bedford–Cambridge East West Rail, currently planned for the mid-to-late 2030s.
And after filling the coach for an FA Cup away, hopefully there will be a decent Linnets following there on Saturday.
[1]: https://eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation/frequently-asked-questions "East West Rail – Frequently Asked Questions"
[2]: https://www.kltown.co.uk/live/887C8D0F-E35A-435B-AE3E-BCD57F1A5EEB "King's Lynn Town – Bedford Town v King's Lynn"
[3]: https://radcliffefc.com/away-information-bedford-town-2/ "Radcliffe FC – Bedford Town Away Information, September 2026"
[4]: https://bedfordtownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets "Bedford Town – Match Tickets"
[5]: https://www.thekingsarmscardington.co.uk/ "The King's Arms – Cardington"
[6]: https://www.thekingsarmscardington.co.uk/aboutus "The King's Arms – Food & Pub Information"
[7]: https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/bedfordtownfootballclub/news/playoff-final-information-2849166.html "Bedford Town – The Eyrie Catering & Hospitality"
[8]: https://www.bedford.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/strategies-and-major-projects/east-west-rail-proposals "Bedford Borough Council – East West Rail Proposals"